


The New Kid

by Tormented_Gale



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Daycare, Alternate Universe - Kids, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-20 13:57:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3652956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tormented_Gale/pseuds/Tormented_Gale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daycare is always difficult for the new kid, but it's worse when the new kid is absolutely certain everything about the place is evil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The New Kid

“Okay, class, today we have a new student! Let’s all say hi to Sync!”

He hates it here. He hates the green wallpaper and the colorful drawings and the crayon-stained floor cushions and the little tables and their little chairs and - and he hates it. His little fists shake at his sides as he scowls at all the kids staring back, too young to realize this is a prison worse than a crib ever was. This is a place where parents get rid of their kids simply because they don’t like them anymore.

The strange woman in charge - her face is gentle, her smile welcoming, but even she is no doubt evil like the rest - motions for him to join the curious faces looking him over. He folds his arms across his chest and tries to look intimidating, but he’s only perhaps a year older than a few of them, and he’s certainly shorter than the older kids.

He scowls all the deeper at the one kid with long red hair in a ponytail that glares back, though the boy sitting next to him that could only be his twin stares with open curiosity. The blond haired boy sitting near them, clearly more intimidated than either redhead, blinks and offers a tentative smile. Sync narrows his eyes.

“Now! It’s story time!”

The first crack in his defenses - he  _loves_ stories. But no! It’s a trick to get him to like this place, and he can’t like it! It’s not anyplace he wants to be! Still his legs betray him and he wanders over with the other kids to sit down at the teacher’s feet. She picks up a book - the front shows a prince kneeling before a princess with a shoe in his hands - and in seconds he is as enthralled as everyone else.

He doesn’t even notice that time has passed until he’s yawning and he sees the book closing. The teacher smiles down at him, and in his half-asleep state he almost offers one back but catches himself before he can. She reaches down and scoops him up, stronger than she looks, and deposits him on one of the cots. The other cots are already occupied except for the same long haired boy staring dubiously down at the bed already inhabited by his twin.

“C’mon, Asch, please?” the smaller boy begs, and Asch sighs loudly. It isn’t long before they’re sharing it.

Sync shakes a little at the thought of sleeping around strangers. He feels a gentle hand on his shoulder and ruffling his hair, and hears that same voice that had spoken so gently while speaking of faraway lands say, “It’s nap time, Sync. When you wake up, it will be free play time, okay? Go on and lay down.”

He does despite himself and curls up on his cot, drawing his legs up towards his chest. He’s flexible, always has been or at least as long as he can remember, but no one comments that it’s a strange thing to do or that he should straighten out, foolish boy. Instead a blanket is draped around him and he is tucked in and  _trapped -_

There’s a soft rustling and the sound of quiet footsteps, and before he knows it the blond boy from before is standing at his cot’s side. He flinches back - can’t help the reaction - and scowls again as the blond steps back too.

“What?” he demands, hoping the tremble in his voice will go unheard beneath the offense.

“I jus’ thought…” the blond boy starts, and before Sync knows it there is a small plush rabbit being pushed into his arms. He stares at it, then the blond, then back at the toy. It’s so soft, like touching a cloud.

“What’s it for?” Sync asks, wondering if there’s a trick here too. He thought he was getting better at seeing what people were planning, but he was just a little kid too, as he was so often reminded.

“You looked kinda scared,” the blond boy explains, “and Mary is nice and warm and she’s my friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yeah, just like Luke and Asch and Miss Tear and Natalia and Anise and Mister Jade and Mister Largo and - “

Sync blinks and the boy drifts off, his words fading to a murmur and then silence. They stare at each other for a good minute.

“What’s… your name?” Sync asks tentatively, cautiously, testing the waters.

“Gailardia!” the blond says emphatically, and Sync blinks. It sounds so confusing. “Everybody calls me Guy.” Guy smiles and Sync suddenly doesn’t feel so scared.

“Guy.” He nods to himself and hugs the plush to his chest. If this is Guy’s toy, shouldn’t Guy be sleeping with it? He offers it back to Guy and sees the instant hurt in the other boy’s eyes. “Yours?”

“I thought you would like her too.”

“I do,” Sync says before he can stop it. He wants Guy to stop frowning and looking like he’s going to cry. “But is yours…”

“I’ll share her with you!” Guy says earnestly. Sync feels his chest clench, and it’s a weird feeling, and he doesn’t know what to say.

“…Thanks,” he tries, and Guy beams, and Sync wonders if maybe he made a friend. If he had, it was quite the accomplishment.

“Now Sync and Guy are friends,” Guy says, confirming Sync’s thoughts and solidifying that maybe one thing went right in this stupid daycare.

“I don’t know how,” Sync admits quietly. He waits for Guy to laugh, but when he looks at the other boy, all he sees is confusion.

“That’s okay - Sync can learn and be friends with everybody!” Guy insists and he smiles again. Sync likes it when Guy smiles, especially when he’s the one to cause it, though he’ll never admit it. He does like it when he manages to get other people to smile - it’s so much easier to make them cry.

“Maybe,” Sync murmurs.

“Alright, Guy, back to your cot,” Miss Tear insists and she gently pats Guy’s back to encourage him. He waves cheerily at Sync and returns to his cot where he promptly pulls the blankets to just under his chin and falls asleep with a little smile on his face. 

Sync lays awake with Mary the Rabbit clutched to his chest and listens to the breathing and snoring of the other kids, wide awake despite his earlier exhaustion. Both of the redheads snore and he almost lets out a laugh at how silly they look, both trying to take up as much of the cot as possible. A few of the kids softly chatter with each other, and he hears a snort of laughter that is quickly silenced by another hissed “Shhh!” He glances at the pigtailed girl who is doing her absolute best to not laugh too loudly while a little boy with a runny nose glares at her.

There are so many other kids, but… they aren’t all bad. Maybe this place, with its too flowery paints and its broken crayons and its open windows and wonderful books… maybe it won’t be so bad. His eyes finally close and, with a final hug of Mary the Rabbit, he drifts off to sleep.


End file.
